Vent: Tried a gas forge finally and now I feel dumb for 3 years of charcoal

I finally broke down and bought a used propane forge from a guy off Craigslist last weekend. The heat control is night and day different - I can actually see my steel clearly and not guess at temperature by color in a smoky mess. Has anyone else switched late and felt silly about the time they wasted before?

2 comments

2 Comments

karenw2328d ago

I mean, I felt the exact same way when I finally switched. That thing you said about guessing at temperature in a smoky mess, that hit home. I spent like four years with a charcoal forge and thought I was getting good at it, but once I lit my first propane burner I realized how much I was just winging it. The heat control is just so much better, you can actually see the steel and adjust on the fly instead of waiting for a bed of coals to build up. It's not like charcoal is bad or anything, but propane is just way more forgiving for a beginner. Don't beat yourself up over the time you spent, though, that charcoal work probably taught you a lot about reading heat and material behavior that you still use now.

rosew3728d ago

Did your wife ever complain about the smell following you into the house?